In this suspenseful video, a man who was doing construction work on an empty apartment inside of a Washington Heights building on 172nd Street can be seen hanging from a fifth-floor window as smoke billows out of it. Neighbors try to assit by extending a rickety ladder, but it doesn't look like it can sustain the man's weight.
As the smoke intensifies, a fearless neighbor jumps down from the fire escape above and walks across the ladder (which has now been laid flat) and guides him to safety. By the time a firefighter finally makes his way to the scene to assist, any threat of danger has been avoided. Someone off-camera can even be heard yelling: "You guys are late, beat it!"
No word on how the fire started, but thankfully everyone escaped this crisis safely.
[via Gothamist]